13-903. Terms, defined.

For purposes of the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act and sections 16-727, 16-728, 23-175, 39-809, and 79-610, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Political subdivision shall include villages, cities of all classes, counties, school districts, learning communities, public power districts, and all other units of local government, including entities created pursuant to the Interlocal Cooperation Act or Joint Public Agency Act. Political subdivision shall not be construed to include any contractor with a political subdivision;

(2) Governing body shall mean the village board of a village, the city council of a city, the board of commissioners or board of supervisors of a county, the board of directors of a public power district, the governing board or other governing body of an entity created pursuant to the Interlocal Cooperation Act or Joint Public Agency Act, and any duly elected or appointed body holding the power and authority to determine the appropriations and expenditures of any other unit of local government;

(3) Employee of a political subdivision shall mean any one or more officers or employees of the political subdivision or any agency of the subdivision and shall include members of the governing body, duly appointed members of boards or commissions when they are acting in their official capacity, volunteer firefighters, and volunteer rescue squad personnel. Employee shall not be construed to include any contractor with a political subdivision; and

(4) Tort claim shall mean any claim against a political subdivision for money only on account of damage to or loss of property or on account of personal injury or death, caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any employee of the political subdivision, while acting within the scope of his or her office or employment, under circumstances in which the political subdivision, if a private person, would be liable to the claimant for such damage, loss, injury, or death but shall not include any claim accruing before January 1, 1970.

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Annotations

Volunteer firefighters employed by a nonprofit corporation are employees of a political subdivision under subsection (3) of this section. Hatcher v. Bellevue Vol. Fire Dept., 262 Neb. 23, 628 N.W.2d 685 (2001).

The definition of "governing body" under the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act does not include an insurance carrier for the political subdivision. Davis v. Town of Clatonia, 231 Neb. 814, 438 N.W.2d 479 (1989).

A contract action does not involve a tort claim, as defined in this section, and thus is not subject to the provisions of the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act. Employers Reins. Corp. v. Santee Pub. Sch. Dist. No. C-5, 231 Neb. 744, 438 N.W.2d 124 (1989).

The Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act eliminates the need for the doctrine by which a claimant is required to prove that the negligent act was committed by the municipal employee in furtherance of a private duty owed to the claimant. Maple v. City of Omaha, 222 Neb. 293, 384 N.W.2d 254 (1986).

The liability of a political subdivision under the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act is not absolute, but rather such liability as would exist in a private person without such immunity. Koepf v. County of York, 198 Neb. 67, 251 N.W.2d 866 (1977).

Loss of employment does not qualify as a loss of property under the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act. Craw v. City of Lincoln, 24 Neb. App. 788, 899 N.W.2d 915 (2017).